Flacco has certainly risen to the occasion in this year's playoffs, and his team is flourishing as a result. The Ravens signal-caller has thrown for 853 yards and eight touchdowns, all the while playing mistake-free football.

And while those numbers are impressive, we have to take other things into consideration for Flacco's candidacy as an elite quarterback.

Flacco's completion percentage has never been the most stellar part of his game.

For his career, Flacco has completed 60 percent of his passes, but in these playoffs, Flacco's accuracy hasn't been all that impressive, as he's completing passes at a 54 percent clip.

In fact, despite Flacco's solid play, if not for a total breakdown in the Denver Broncos defense during the closing seconds of the AFC Divisional Round Game, the Ravens are playing golf someplace and Flacco's efforts would not have been sufficient.

Flacco's regular-season numbers have never been gaudy at all, and he is routinely missing from the top of some of the major statistical categories for quarterbacks each and every year.

This season has been much of the same, as Flacco missed the top 10 in passing yards, among other departments, and has remained inconsistent throughout. Inconsistency has been the story of Flacco's career.

So, would a Super Bowl victory change his status as a middle-of-the-pack quarterback?

It would take a monumental effort in order to accomplish that. Flacco would have to not only be responsible for his team's victory, but he'd also have to put up sensational numbers in what will be the biggest game of his life.

Super Bowl MVP honors wouldn't hurt, either.

Just because the Ravens win this game doesn't mean Flacco is the reason why.

Granted, Flacco could have a major hand in a Baltimore win, but it's quite possible he throws a stinker and the Ravens still emerge victorious despite him.

It's that scenario—or a losing one—that will once again leave Flacco out of the elite quarterback discussion.

It will take an all-time performance for Flacco to change the overall perception of his status in the NFL, and simply winning his first Super Bowl doesn't qualify him as one of the best the sport has to offer.